Courses and causes

You don't need special skills, great physical abilities, or a lot of money to participate in environmental workshops — just the interest. Learning opportunities like those discussed in this article can invigorate your teaching, inspire your students, and get you involved in causes outside your school.

By Linda Dow

Get inspired Once you experience nature firsthand, you may find yourself involved with causes you never anticipated. (Photo courtesy Topsail Sea Turtle Hospital.)

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• Historic Yates Mill County Park: The centerpiece of this 574-acre historical and environmental park is Yates Mill - Wake County's last remaining gristmill.

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• Learn more about Environmental Educator Certification, environmental science, and professional development.

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In pursuit of my Environmental Educator Certification, I have enjoyed some of the most memorable experiences of my life. They include tracking bears, sailing out to sea in a wooden schooner, fly fishing, studying the ecology of waterfalls, salamander wrangling, and a trip to Yellowstone National Park. All this and more was readily available to me — a chubby, middle-aged, North Carolina elementary school teacher!

I don’t have unlimited funds. But the activities didn’t cost much. In fact, most of them were free of charge! I am not in great, physical shape. I do not have any special skill set that allowed me to qualify for participation.  

There is nothing special about me, but there is something very special about the environmental education opportunities for educators here in North Carolina. You need only find out where and how to take advantage of what is offered.

Hopefully, this article will serve to point you in the right direction and encourage you to take the first step. Start by exploring some of the websites at the end of this article. Se what is being offered near you, or take a little road trip.

You will never regret the decision to participate in a course or to become involved in a worthy cause. It will add spice to your life and passion to your teaching, and it will serve as inspiration to your students.

Environmental Educator Certification

The subject of professional development is often met with scowls and sighs. Let’s face it — much of what we have to endure in the name of "continuing education" is painfully boring and all too often, when finished, promptly forgotten.

I wanted to embrace the concept of becoming a "lifelong learner." As a mother and grandmother, however, I had become well aware of how quickly time passes. I was, therefore, unwilling to waste any of it. I chose my studies carefully.

It was not initially my intention to become a Certified Environmental Educator. It may not be yours. I simply began by taking courses that interested me and subsequently learned of this DENR (Department of Environment and Natural Resources) certification program. I decided that I might as well get credit for participating in what I found to be valuable and thoroughly enjoyable educational activities.

In the process, I discovered workshops and courses offered by several agencies, institutions, and organizations. There’s quite a variety from which to choose. The key is to shop around and take the classes that interest you and/or can be applied to your subject and grade level. You will discover that most of them are fun, informative, and practical. You can return to your classroom and immediately apply what you’ve learned. Quite often, there is a free packet of materials included to help you implement your lesson plans.

In my opinion, whether you complete certification or not is irrelevant. The main thing is to continue learning and to enjoy the process. You will be doing yourself — and, by extension , your students — a huge favor.

Some special memories

While participating in a workshop hosted by the Carolina Raptor Center and the Museum of Natural Sciences, I was fascinated by the turkey vulture. I noticed for the first time, how huge their nostrils are! I got as close as I could before I was warned about how a vulture defends itself.   "If you get too close," I was told, "He’ll vomit on you." Lovely.

In other workshops involving birds, I learned that many species use that same means of repelling a perceived enemy. Coastal colony nesters such as pelicans will protect their nests in the same manner. So will Great Blue Heron young, from high up in their nests.

The Pisgah National Forest hosts an education center where I have participated in several truly wonderful workshops. One summer, I got an in depth look at the fish and other aquatic organisms in North Carolina’s mountains. We spent a good part of the day foraging around the banks of a river, turning over rocks, and catching and identifying various organisms.

A pair of rangers joined us to demonstrate how they estimated fish population numbers. They carried space-age backpacks with wands that looked a bit like metal detectors. They waved these wands back and forth in the water. As they did this, they were delivering mild shock waves, stunning any nearby fish. I was amazed to see the number of large, adult trout that floated temporarily to the surface! They swam away, unharmed. I, in turn, was stunned! Those great, big fish were right there, where I had been rooting around only minutes before! So cleverly camouflaged, they had gone unnoticed.

Good works: environmental causes

Not only have I seen amazing sights and learned a tremendous amount in attending these workshops, I have also met people that became dear friends and colleagues. They have helped me to understand the importance of action. Warning: Once you are exposed to the wonders of nature, you will fall in love and you will be irresistibly moved to help in conservation efforts!

On a weeklong series of workshops with the Museum of Natural Sciences, I met a wonderful, wild and wacky woman named Beth Howard. Beth lives on the coast, near Wilmington, and teaches art at an elementary school. Her passion for nature and involvement in environmental causes is an inspiration to many who know her.

Beth volunteers to patrol a segment of the beach during the sea turtles’ nesting season. The location of each nest is marked and monitored until hatching time. Beth spent many nights over many years, hoping to witness a newborn turtle emerging from the sand. I was so fortunate to be there when she finally got her wish. The little guy struggled and struggled to the surface. Beth and I squealed and squealed with delight.  

Beth is also involved with the Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center on Topsail Beach. She is part of the all-volunteer staff there, whose job it is to feed, clean, and care for injured and sick sea turtles. The goal of the center is to rehabilitate and, of course, release these turtles back to the ocean.

Beth told me that every June and September, the center releases several turtles back to the ocean. The attention this event receives has become a public celebration of the center’s efforts.   Hundreds of people turn out to witness the turtles’ return to their saltwater home.

Beth’s enthusiasm for her work is so contagious, I went to witness one of these releases myself.

The turtles are transported to the beach in four-wheel drive vehicles. Each turtle is assigned a team of volunteer workers, who will prepare it for release, then carry it to the water. As each turtle discovered water under its flippers and flapped away into the surf, the crowd roared.   I was surprised at the flood of emotions that I felt. I was overwhelmed.

I have returned several times to watch this event and to help in some way. I heartily encourage others to support the center’s efforts to save the sea turtles.

Courses and causes

Just as sure as the sun rises in the east, this is fact: The more we learn about nature, the more we will appreciate it. This is true not only for your students but also for you, their teacher. Choose continuing education that will make a difference in your life, in your instructional design, and ultimately in your students’ lives. Find some cause in which you can participate. You will be so glad you did. Environmental education workshops, courses, and causes are readily available to us as educators in North Carolina. Get out there and enjoy!

Finding workshops, courses, and certifications